Michael A. Nolen, CEO of Delmarva Home Relief
June 26,2015
This week a Hammerhead shark was spotted in Ocean City, MD close to the beach, in the downtown inlet and even the Assawoman Bay. This shark sighting has started a lot of commotion. While I normally don’t write about Sharks, my daughter loves them and said I should write about them.
Since this is a local Ocean City story, I think it’s appropriate. In this post, I’ll give you the scoop about the Hammerhead shark spotted in OC, and some helpful shark facts that you may find interesting.
What's Up with Sharks in Ocean City, MD!
With 7 shark attacks in North Carolina, and sharks spotted in OC. Should we be worried.
This week, tourists in the Ocean City beach town spotted a Hammerhead Shark close to the beach. Now, the shark I use in the image about is not the shark spotted. The shark spotted in OC seemed less aggressive. Some have said that the shark is sick or may be ready to give birth to shark pups. Hammerhead shark pups, like the pups seen recently in Ocean City, are about 1.5 feet long when born, and 13-31 pups are in each litter.
I'm no shark expert, but I was able to gather some cool facts from some great sources to share with you.
It is highly recommended to avoid sharks at all costs, but out of the nine species of Hammerheads, only three are considered to be dangerous to humans.
Hammerhead sharks are generally not dangerous to humans(like the Scalloped Hammerhead which can be found around Ocean City, MD), but great hammerheads should be avoided due to their size.
Great Hammerheads (Sphyrna mokarran) can reach a maximum length of about 20 feet, although they are about 12 feet long on average. Great hammerheads may be found both close to shore and offshore, in warm temperate and tropical waters. They live in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, Mediterranean and Black Seas, and Arabian Gulf. We may not need to worry about running into a Great Hammerhead in Ocean City.
The Scalloped Hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) is a common shark in the Ocean City coastal waters. They may be found in warmer temperature and tropical waters. They may also find their way into bays, inshore areas, and waters as deep as 900 feet.
The scalloped hammerhead can grow to over 13 feet in length and weigh about 340 pounds. Their backs can be bronze or light gray, have a white underside, dark-tipped fins and a dark blotch on the lower lobe of their caudal fin also know as their tail.
Scalloped hammerheads may gather in large schools for breeding. Females give birth in shallow waters in summer. This could be why the shark came so close to our local beach this summer.
Scalloped hammerheads are generally not considered dangerous to humans. Based on a report in theInternational Shark Attack File, hammerhead sharks count for at least 17 Non-Fatal Unprovoked attacks and 0 Fatal Unprovoked attacks on humans.
Scalloped hammerhead sharks are listed as endangered by theIUCN Red List. This is caused by the high rate of bycatch in fishing gear, and shark finning operations. They are also more vulnerable to capture than some other fish because of their schooling behavior.
I hope you found this helpful. If you're visiting Ocean City this summer, enjoy your time on the beach, boardwalk, rides, restaurants, and events that this great family destination has to offer.
Since I usually write about real estate topics, I should point out the great Ocean City, MD real estate opportunities. Get some helpful tips about buying a home in OC from our OC real estate pro blogger, Joe Wilson.
References and Additional Resources
- National Geographic. Hammerhead Shark.
- MarineLife. Scalloped Hammerhead. by Jennifer Kennedy
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna lewini)
- MarineLife. Great Hammerhead. by Jennifer Kennedy
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